SpaceX

[JRod0802]

Wait, I just realized, Elon started Space X to get to Mars ... But with no atmosphere you'd need to drive an electric car :-o, Does that mean we'll see an airtight Model X with oxygen tanks soon?

See this thread:
Driving Model S in the Vacuum

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Congress, NASA agree to thin out commercial spaceflight partners for 'space taxi' program -- Engadget

I hope the whittling down is based on merit and recent track record (so, SpaceX) rather than on lobbying power and past aerospace collaboration history (i.e. Boeing). Not to suggest that Boeing cannot get it done but, their "financial health and business viability" obviously dwarfs that of SpaceX.

 

[daniel]

I think the recent successful mission of Dragon to the ISS pretty much guarantees that SpaceX will be one of the choices to remain in the program.

 

[TEG]

Based on the timing of the announcement it is like "well, we have one 'winner', so we can get rid of one of the other unproven players."
So, yeah, I took it as a sign that they could be a "shoe-in" now based on this major milestone.

 

[JRod0802]

This video is a little old (between flights 2 and 3 of Falcon 1), but it was very interesting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ6tZtGrShg

 

[GSP]

Great video. Well worth the 21 minutes to watch.

GSP

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Just wow! How is it humanly possible for a CEO to be so technically involved and informed while also balancing the business side of things?! With two companies at that?! He's not human, I tell you!

Wish we had a similar tour video of Tesla...

 

[Grendal]

Just wow! How is it humanly possible for a CEO to be so technically involved and informed while also balancing the business side of things?! With two companies at that?! He's not human, I tell you!

My old business partner could do what Elon does. It's a real trick to be able grapple with the minutae of day to day business while maintaining a handle on the "big picture" then managing to flip back and forth betweeen the two. Elon does it on a much much larger scale, of course. Maintaining the big picture is the most critical aspect of the CEO/man in charge.
There was a great scene in ROTEC where Elon walks into the room of cars and he pauses and gets right to the critical problem that there is a room full of cars that need to get into customers hands. His focus immediately is what is preventing that from happening. The people around him are stuck in the minutae and he immediately refocuses them on the overall goal. That's why he is a great CEO.

 

[TEG]

When everyone else is too busy with little details to be able to focus on the broader goal,

 

[doug]

NASA - SpaceX Completes Design Review of Dragon

Safety was a key focus of the review. The SpaceX team presented NASA with analyses on how its SuperDraco launch abort system would perform if an emergency were to occur during launch or ascent. The review also outlined plans for getting astronauts away from danger quickly and safely on the way to low Earth orbit, in space and during the return home.

"The successful conclusion of the concept baseline review places SpaceX exactly where we want to be -- ready to move on to the next phase and on target to fly people into space aboard Dragon by the middle of the decade," said SpaceX CEO and Chief Designer Elon Musk.

 

[doug]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwDCWTqNceQ&feature=g-all-u

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

BBC News - Nasa announces space shuttle replacement shortlist

SpaceX made it!

 

[Norbert]

Space Exploration Technologies Corporation - Press

"NASA SELECTS SPACEX TO RETURN AMERICANS TO SPACE"

Hawthorne, CA – Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) today won a $440 million contract with NASA to develop the successor to the Space Shuttle and transport American astronauts into space.

 

[TEG]

That is big news!

 

[JRod0802]

This is from November 2011, but I didn't see it posted here, so:

SpaceX Dragon Capsule Could Go Drill For Ice on Mars | Popular Science
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Dragon_%28spacecraft%29

 

[doug]

Six Questions for SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell | Txchnologist

 

[PV4EV]

The whole Curiosity landing sequence is an amazing feat of engineering.

But I cant help feeling that Space-X could do this more efficiently !

 

[VolkerP]

first pictures arrived!
http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/1798/marscg.jpg

 

[jcstp]

first pictures arrived!
http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/1798/marscg.jpg

nice productplacement ;-)

 

[JRod0802]

NASA - NASA Administrator Announces New Commercial Crew And Cargo Milestones

SpaceX is scheduled to launch the first of its 12 contracted cargo flights to the space station from Cape Canaveral in October, under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services Program.